the_rpfandomcom-20200215-history
Dyami
Dyami, Aquila's fourth form, is a 14-year old Navajo wolf Skinwalker of Mohawk origin. Unlike most Skinwalkers, however, Dyami did not choose the life of one. He was a worshipper of the Thunderbird, however only realised his past as the being when he briefly met Awes-kon-wa. Dyami's Story Introduction Before I pass Dyami's story onto you, let me first tell you some information on Skinwalkers, mainly Navajo legends. Skinwalkers are beasts which are unidentifiable from humans or the animal which they transform into. They choose which animal to gain the ability of by simply wearing their pelt, however once worn cannot be taken off. This is the only way you can tell the difference from a Skinwalker and a human, as it is forbidden amongst the Native Americans to wear the pelts of a wolf, fox, bear or coyote, which is what most Skinwalkers choose. To become a Skinwalker, the Indian must leave his village forever, living only amongst the beasts he, or she, has been pledged to. First, the Indian would kill one of his family members from his village. Before you call Dyami a murderer, know that the poor boy was forced into this life and had no intention of even harming his family. Which family member did he kill? Read and find out, young one. Anyway, then the subject must skin the pelt of the animal he wishes to become, and wear it. By the next day, he would become a Skinwalker. Although they sound dangerous, and can attack villages, most Skinwalkers are easily scared and will run away when spotted. Dyami's pack was not such. Now, onto the story you have been waiting for. Part 1 The stars shone bright above the fire in the middle of the village, wolves howling in the distance. A young boy, standing beside the fire with his father, eyed a bright star. Upon seeing this, he knew he was staring at the constellation 'Aquila', whose name meant the same thing as his did - Eagle. The howling of the pack suddenly halted, and shadows crept along the distance through the flame. Dyami saw this in the corner of his eye, and watched as a pack of wild dogs trodded where he saw the shadows. He nudged his father and pointed towards them. "Are those coyotes?" His father chuckled briefly, then pointed out one of the wild dogs' ears and muzzle. "No, son. Those are wolves. A coyote's ears are longer, and their muzzles are thinner and also longer." Dyami looked amongst the pack for a short while, astounded at the canines that stood before them. "Look at that one there," he finally said, eyeing the largest one. "That must be the alpha," his father replied. The young boy stared up at the sky, finding Aquila again. "I wonder if Thunderbird was as big as that constellation is," he imagined standing before the wise bird now. The father and son sat by eachother for a while, before making their way to their longhouse, when Dyami saw the large wolf again, though this time it stared back at him eerily, as if it wanted something. The father followed Dyami's gaze, and recognised the beast's dim glowing red eyes. He hurried his son, trying to keep him safe from the wolf. Then it howled... Almost immediately the pack was upon them. Dyami's cry for help woke nearby Indians, who woke the others up too. They attempted to drive the pack out, not realising that it was not an ordinary pack of wolves... The beasts lay fang and fought savagely through the warriors, and when the large wolf Dyami had seen before shifted in front of his eyes, he knew that what he thought the wolves were, were not what they seemed. They were, in fact, Skinwalkers. Along with their ability to shift, Skinwalkers have several other powers, like reading minds and controlling them with charms made of human bones. Dyami's first thought was to run, and on the way he retrieved a bow and an arrow. The large wolf sprinted in front of Dyami, and shifted again, holding such a charm. Shaking, the boy unsteadily held up the bow, loaded with an arrow, and shot at the Skinwalker, whom waved his charm and brang a nearby village man to act as a human shield. The arrow pierced the man's heart before the teenager realised what he had done. Dyami had killed his father. Part 2 The boy dropped the cursed bow he held, and sprinted towards his father, however before reaching the body he was grabbed by a wet pair of fangs, and was being dragged across the wet grass. Dyami barely had time to grief before losing consciousness from the creature's spell. How could I have been so foolish? he thought. Dyami awoke in a den, wolflike men surrounding him and carrying on their usual business, until what he supposed to be the leader appeared before him. "Hello, ashkii," the man smirked. "I'm Mohawk," Dyami hissed in reply, before looking up to see the man's face - bloody, scarred and rather unsettling. The boy shrunk back and began to shake. "Who are you...?" he asked, stuttering. The man replied, in a seemingly mocking way to Dyami's scared posture; "Ah, Navajos and Mohawks. They all look the same. Ashkii, my name is Nukpana." Dyami didn't know whether to be annoyed that the man was still speaking Navajo, or to be worried about what his name meant - Evil. "You are Hopi?" he asked. "Why are you in Mohican territory?" Nukpana laughed. "Do you know where we are? We're in a canyon. Your forest home is far away from here!" A canyon? Dyami gasped. He's never seen a canyon before, but most importantly was that he had no hope of returning to the village now. Thinking of the village, Dyami shot up a glance to Nukpana. "M-my father! Where is he?!" he growled, and Nukpana gave in return a pitiful glance. "Dyami, do you know how people become Skinwalkers?" Dyami briefly nodded, and was half-shocked the man knew his name, but knowing sadly what he was leading up to. "Your father is dead. You are one of us now." Mouth open, and tearing up, he shook his head. "No! I refuse! Bring me back home, now!" he screamed. A wolf padded up and shifted next to Nukpana, a sadistic smile spreading across the new man's face. "You are either one of us, or dead. There is no other choice," he stated. "Well said, Megedagik," Nukpana praised him. "I will give you a short time to become accustomed to this place, for you will spend the rest of your life with us. Then, you must skin the pelt of a wolf," he added. Dyami felt like he wouldn't be good friends with Megedagik, but he had to get used to it now, for the Skinwalker's words were truth - he was now forced into this new life. The boy wondered around the den, observing the sights, sounds and smells: Human-like beasts talking and going about daily business, some eying Dyami and noticing he wears no pelt, the sounds of wolves and other animals walking or flapping wings, and the smell of dog and fresh kill. Nearby, Dyami noticed animals either caged up or in pits, obviously for the purpose of new Skinwalkers. In one pit, he saw wolves and bears. In another, foxes. In cages, he sighted eagles, hawks and other raptors. Would he choose? Or would he, as Nukpana said, be restricted to only the wolf form? A force had suddenly pushed Dyami down to the stone floor, startling him, and he watched as a fox juvenile shifted in front of him, turning into a young woman of about a few years older, who wore a coat and hood made out of red vixen pelt. "You have a lot to learn," she sighed. "I only just got here!" Dyami replied, crossly. The woman leaned against the fence blocking the pit of wolves and bears off. "Mhm. Wondering what you should choose? Or did he choose for you?" she asked. "My name is Liluye, by the way." Dyami glanced back at the animals, then to the woman who stood beside him. "He said I might be a wolf, but otherwise I have my mind set on an eagle. It's what my name means, after all. I'm Dyami, from Kanatahséton." Liluye gave a cruel smirk, which made Dyami think of whether or not she was friend or another Skinwalker he'd have to get used to living with. "Cub, he either chooses for you or he doesn't. There is no 'might'. That means, unfortunately, you're not getting the eagle." Finally, her cruel smirk faded to a pitiful frown. "Kanièn:ke,.. You're a long way from home, huh? I'm from Ahkwesásne myself. You must miss your family. Who did you kill?" Liluye gave off a guilty expression as Dyami scowled at her. His expression said it all. Why would you say that? Just as she opened her mouth, he came up with a reply. "I've never chosen to be here. Nukpana made me... My father... You see," he bowed his head down, thankful for the fact he did not recall the moment his father had died. A wolf's howl sounded as the animals around them darted off in one direction. "Meeting. Come on," Liluye called, dashing away as her fox form. He ran after on his own two legs, unable to keep up with her. He followed the others outside, astounded as a bright light shone upon his eyes and as it attuned, he saw a grand canyon before him. "Never seen one before?" Liluye asked unexpectedly, making Dyami jump. "Y-yeah... I'm used to my forest home," he replied. All then turned to Nukpana, who stood high on the top of the den so that all could hear him. "My pack, we have brought to you new blood. May he grow up to be the strong wolf we hope him to become, and may he bring us plenty of prey, and to not disappoint. I now bring to you Dyami of the Mohawks." He shyly shuffled in his spot, aware that all in the pack secretly resented him. Even Liluye. Part 3 Dyami was now in the heart of the canyon, watching observantly, aware of every sound, every scent he could find. He found none. Where was his opponent? It was only a matter of time before the wolf had pounced and was now attempting to maul the boy. He threw the wolf off balance, taking a moment to straighten his aim before releasing his wrist onto the throat of the wolf. The thin pelt of the juvenile was easily penetrated and the flesh was reached and damaged, however not enough to kill the beast, which ran from his grip, hiding all scent and sight in its surroundings once again. This time Dyami braced himself for any upcoming attack, however not well enough as it dropped down onto his back painfully, pinning him on his side and biting his arm. Instinctively, Dyami grabbed the wolf's head and threw it onto the dust, again hitting the wolf on the same spot he hit it before. The pulse and life of the animal faded away in his hands. "Nia:wen," he whispered. "Now," a familiar voice called. It was Nukpana. "You must skin the wolf's pelt, as is the usual process. You, alone." A hawk Skinwalker passed a knife to Dyami and flew back to the den, Nukpana awkwardly watching him. He recalled his hunting lessons on how to skin animals, and did so. Nukpana's eyes brimmed with approval and the two made their way back to the den. It would be night by the time they returned, and Liluye greeted him, showing him to his resting place. Since they were both very young, they slept in the same room, Liluye curled up as a fox and Dyami lying sidewards, wearing the timber wolf pelt as instructed. Liluye bounded up and down excitedly, awakening Dyami, as she saw that overnight he had changed. "Dyami! Wake up!" she panted. "W...what?" he yawned, noticing he had already dreamed of home. He tried to get up but simply fell, realising that no longer were his hands made of human skin, but were covered in grey-white pelt. He was now a full Skinwalker. He steadily made his way up on four paws. "I'll need to get used to this," he muttered. Liluye ran around him in circles, calling after him after she noticed he wouldn't move. "One pawstep after the other," she mocked. Dyami flattened his ears against his head. "Shut up. I wasn't exactly born as a wolf, you know." Slowly, the new wolf stumbled outside of the room, where he was greeted by none other than Megedagik. "So, the pup is finally one of us. You won't last 10 minutes out there, I bet you," he snarled. Dyami shouldered past him, shivers down his spine, as always when he saw Megedagik. "He's always been on edge. Ever since he killed his baby sister..." Liluye growled, lowly. "Why'd he do that?" Dyami asked. "He thought that, if he killed more than one of his family members he could have more than one animal. Of course, he was wrong, and now he regrets it," the fox answered. "There's only been two recorded Skinwalkers that has ever had three animal powers, and that was centuries ago. It's supposed to be a genetic thing, I think." Dyami nodded, still concentrating on keeping his new paws up. A falcon flapped and landed in front of Liluye. "Liluye, Nukpana wishes you to help Dyami accustom to his new form." The voice from the bird sounded a deep, female, Dyami had noticed. Liluye nodded and with that the falcon flew off. "That was Suletu. She usually serves as a messenger, or just generally collecting pigeons as prey for the raptors of the pack. Anyway, I guess I'll just show you around the place. Try to keep up," she grinned. "And remember, one pawstep after the other." Dyami shuddered on his forepaws but eventually picked up his footing. Liluye leaped onto a rock where an Arctic fox rested. "This is Askook. He's Algonquin, like Megedagik," Liluye jumped off and led Dyami to a grizzly bear, who flicked his ear at the sight of the juvenile wolf. "This is Hekli of Miwok. He's... a bit preoccupied right now, so excuse him." She continued to lead Dyami and found an arctic wolf nuzzling Megedagik. "That's Chenoa of Acoma. She's Megedagik's mate - and not any kinder!" she whispered, carefully and slowly edging away. "That was... interesting," Dyami grinned. "So, what now?" "I'll test you - see if you can walk yet," Liluye answered. "Well, I made it this far," he muttered. "Alright, then let's see if you can run." "One paw after the other, right?" ''Dyami smirked. "No. Front right paw first, then front left, back left then back right." Slowly, Dyami put forward his front right paw, then felt a sudden force push him from behind as he yelped. Instinct made him save himself from falling by pushing his paws in the desired order. "Congratulations, you ran!" Liluye snickered. Dyami flattened his ears, then repeated the order, first slowly then faster until he finally was able to run. "You learn rather well, Dyami. Now, race?" ''Well, may as well get used to it. Like most things here. He nodded, and the two stepped outside. Liluye pointed a paw to a rock that erupted from the ground in straightly, which ended a few metres above Dyami's human height. "We'll go up to there and back," she instructed. Liluye began in a fast, short burst and Dyami found himself to be lagging behind. He reached the rock before Liluye, however, and was surprised that by now he was not the least tired. Liluye reached the rock and began again in a short, fast burst, but Dyami progressively became faster though the two finished at the same time. Part 4 A wolf growl sounded before the juvenile wolf and fox, and the two turned around to see a woman that wore a coat and hood of pure-white wolf pelt before them. It was Chenoa. "Hey!" she snapped. "The vulpes are going to hunt soon. Hurry up with that waste!" she growled, then turned and disappeared back into the den. "Oh, yeah... Different animal species hunt separately. I think canis are tomorrow, then aves the next day. After that Hekli's going to hunt. Anyway, I'd better go - Askook will be waiting for me." With that, she hurried back to the den. Dyami sighed, realising that he had not been taught how to shift forms, and padded through Liluye's tracks inside. Nearest was a short Cheyenne woman with straight, dark brown hair who leaned at the entrance with her arms crossed. "H-hello," Dyami greeted, shivering and wondering - what surprises did this one hold? The woman simply regarded him with a nod as Dyami noticed her coat and hood was made of falcon feathers. This must be Suletu, he thought. "I-I was wondering..." he stammered with his head down. He looked up to see Suletu was barely paying attention. "If you could... umm... teach me how to shift...?" He bowed his head back down when he noticed the jeer in Suletu's expression. When he looked back up, a falcon stood in her place. "It's simple, you see," she began, "all you have to do is think about it and tense yourself. You'll feel a bit of pressure, but it doesn't hurt." She demonstrated shifting from falcon to human, and Dyami did the same. Suletu was right - it didn't hurt. The body would feel numb. He was surprised to see he was wearing a coat and hood of timber wolf pelt instead of what he was wearing before he became a Skinwalker. "You can also shift certain parts of your body, like eyes, ears and tail. For aves, you can shift arms into wings, too." Suletu demonstrated as her arms grew thinner and fluffy, then feathers began to appear. The flight feathers shot out from beneath her arms, then she turned them back. Dyami tensed as he tried this for himself and a tail grew. "Well done," Suletu smirked, then she lifted her head and listened intently, throwing her hood over. "Sounds like Liluye and Askook are back. See you later, pup." She quickly shifted and flew off outside. Dyami watched as the falcon greeted the two foxes and was given a rat to eat before returning to the den and flapping away into the raptor nests. "How'd it go?" Dyami asked, as Liluye shifted back to her human form. "I see you found out how to shift. Askook caught about 10 rabbits, and I just got a few rabbits and rats. Suletu took the best one, though," she sighed, then the two watched as Askook and Megedagik took the prey to the feeding hole which lay between the wolf den and the fox den, "oh well, go eat if you want. You're hunting tomorrow. Good luck, the other wolves are... not very nice." She yawned and walked off to the juvenile's resting area. Dyami shifted and trotted to the feeding hole, taking a rabbit back to the juvenile area, and ate it silently while Liluye curled up and fell fast asleep. The next morning, Dyami woke up naturally and walked outside to the feeding hole, shifting to his human form, before being blocked by a feathery wing. "Typical pup! Don't eat until you've hunted, first!" Dyami heard Suletu hiss. He suddenly remembered that it was the wolves' turn to hunt today, and rushed outside, where Chenoa, Megedagik and Nukpana waited. The four shifted in unison, Dyami realising that he was only half of Nukpana's size and the smallest in the hunting pack, and began to sprint towards the canyon. Dyami found it hard to keep up with them, through the rough pebbles stabbing into his pads and the dry grass tickling his paws. The four approached a steep, challenging rock that blocked their way. "Should we go back?" Dyami asked. Chenoa giggled and Nukpana smiled at the juvenile. "No. We climb." Megedagik and Chenoa shared an amused glance as they knew Dyami would surely fail. Nukpana took a few steps back before rushing at full speed towards the rock, his paws hitting neatly on the warm, hard dirt and onto the top. Megedagik's eyes brimmed with eagerness, his black pelt rushing through the wind, and he took a perfect step onto the edge, leaping and scrambling up. Next, Chenoa sprinted, finding small footholds in which she could push up on and give herself more momentum to land on the rock, Megedagik tapping her muzzle with approval. Dyami shrunk back, then found it in himself to climb the rock, however so hard he tried he would only fail and fall back down. The three others laughed and taunted him. "Come on, you can do it!" Chenoa giggled. "If you just try, maybe you could just get up!" Nukpana called. "What use is a wolf who can't climb? What should we do with him?" Megedagik laughed. Dyami growled, preparing himself for his next attempt. "Maybe pry out all his organs, roast him over a fire and feed him to his village... then kill them!" Chenoa replied. "Perfect idea, who stops us?" Megedagik continued. Freezing, Dyami tries to shake the image from his mind, and jumped again. He reached and grabbed hold of the ledge, only to find none of the three wolves thought about helping him, and instead went on. With fiery determination, he pushed himself up and, panting, chased after them. Megedagik gave him a sadistic smirk. "We'll still do it, you know. Maybe we'll bring them back as prey, too. No, not the dead ones - they can rot for all I care. Living humans taste better. Especially those delicious Mohawks..." The hunting session was full of horror for poor Dyami. The other Skinwalkers would only tease, threaten and scare him. When Liluye greeted him, he was only shaking and unable to talk, after Megedagik almost threw him off the highest rock of the canyon, to which they also only tormented him about. "I never thought they would go to that extent just for the sake of entertainment..." Liluye sighed, lying in her bed. "I guess it's something you're going to have to get used to, unfortunately." "Those words again!" Dyami hissed. The fox-like woman gazed at him, surprised at his sudden outburst of rage. "W-what do you mean?" she asked, watching as his eyes blazed. "I hate it here! Why did I of all people have to be taken away from my village just to be treated like rubbish by monsters!? Why me? What do you 'people' even want of me?" Liluye scoffed, "Look, I didn't choose to be here either. I didn't choose to murder my brother, just like you did your father. But look at me, will you? I don't care. I actually enjoy this place, because..." Fox ears peaked out and flatten against the girl's chocolate-brown hair, "I'm actually worthwhile!" Blinded by rage, Dyami shifted to his wolf form and lay fang upon her, aiming for her neck. Surprised, she only had so much time to dodge and her shoulder was penetrated by razor sharp fangs, then dislocated by force, while she gave a painful screech. Realising what he had done, Dyami sprinted away just before anyone had gone to see what had happened, and ran outside. It was cold like ice, but he minded not as he knew he must return home. But how would he find out where to go? On that fateful moment, he sighted a wren that landed in front of him, chirping as if to tell him something, then flew off. He thought it might be trying to find its home too, as a canyon is not a preferred habitat for the small bird but rather a forest, so the wolf took a wild-card and followed, bracing himself for a long and perilous journey, but later finding that the forest in which he resided was not far off, and the cliff range that would lead to it was only at its edge - Nukpana had lied! He looked back to see the wren still there, then glanced at his home and back to the wren, who suddenly disappeared. Wondrous but neverminding, Dyami climbed down the cliff steadily, then trotted through the forest, shifting and sitting in front of his village, shivering in fear. He still wore his timber wolf pelt, and so he wondered; will they ever accept a Skinwalker back? Part 5 He pushed the thought from his mind and, shifting his limbs into paws, leaped onto the wooden wall that guarded the village, shaking worryingly until he regained his balance by summoning his tail, and watched uncomfortably. All was silent except for the chirping of crickets, the hooting of owls. He leaped off into the village, shifting his paws and tail back, then lay down in front of his longhouse, shivering not from cold but from fear, although he was not sure what it was he feared. "Dyami..." A voice made him panic and almost run until he saw that it was only one of his friends, whom was called Mitexi. "Dyami... Where have you been?" he asked. "I..." Dyami shook his head and stared down at the ground. "What are you wearing?" Mitexi questioned, "Is that... wolf pelt? Take it off! You know it's forbidden for a reason!" Dyami pushed himself up to his feet. "What have I become...?" he looked at his friend with sorrowful eyes. "You tell me." Mitexi edged away, shaking his head. "No, no... Not you... Creator forbid!" He hushed himself and turned his head away. "So that's how your father died." Dyami was shocked, in a sudden remembrance of the event that occurred of how he became a Skinwalker, and now his friend misunderstood it here. "No! Believe me, Mitexi. I know you will listen to reason..." he began. "What is there to explain?" his old friend snapped. "You murdered him!" "I didn't!" To his dismay, Dyami found himself to be weeping. "I... didn't choose to... You know the stories, of how Skinwalkers can control minds." Instantly, Mitexi began to calm down. He knew Dyami was an honest friend, and would never lie even in a situation such as this. "Yes, with charms made of human bones. I don't suppose you have one, too." "No, I don't. I wasn't given one, for some reason... I think... I have to be a little more well-trained for that. Anyway, I came because I don't belong with those fiends, those beasts. They treat me terribly. If I made a tiny slip, they would laugh. If I received an injury, they'd laugh, If I died, they'd laugh. Especially if they're the reason why I would die, and I'm sure they're willing to kill me. It's like the only purpose I'm there is to be their plaything..." he explained, while the two stepped out of the village and into the forest. "You know I, um, 'worship' the Thunderbird. Could it be he's decided to ignore my pleas now of all time?" "Fear not. Things will be better for you, one day," a tiny voice called out. The two boys glanced around, confused. "Who said that?" Mitexi asked, warily, and the wren that led Dyami back to the valley appeared. "I, Awes-kon-wa. I'm sure you know me." Dyami stared in amazement, Mitexi in confusion, as the little bird fluttered onto the branch nearest them, "So you know," Awes-kon-wa sighed, grief in her tiny eyes. "The Thunderbird is deceased. She's been that way for many years. I watched her. She died in immense pain, but saved this world from a great darkness spreading," she sighed, the poor memories flowing back. "We spent almost all of our time together..." ''Immediately, she lightened up. ''"But it's okay! I stand before her descendant right now!" Dyami stared at her as if she was an alien from outer space. "Well... I'm sorry to hear he-- SHE, was a close friend of yours, but... I'm sorry, what? I don't see a descendant of Thunderbird here... Do you, Mitexi?" Mitexi shook his head, as confused as Dyami was. Awes-kon-wa gave him a glare. "You, you idiot! You're her descendant!" Dyami's mouth gaped open at the words, his wolverine ears perking out. "M... me? No! That's impossible!" Behind him, Mitexi reached out his hands towards Dyami. He glanced back, growling at him as he noticed he was trying to touch his ears. "Quite true. I was the one that released the feather which created you. I followed where it led, and to your den it did. There, I waited for you," ''the wren explained. "How long?" Dyami asked, still attempting to comprehend what she was saying. ''"Hmm... 11,232 years, I think. When she died, she was 59,947 years old, and I, 29,856 years. Now, the year is 1942, and it is a dangerous place where the white men live, as they are in a great war. Yahweh permitted this land be hidden, though, and for good reason!" Dyami was quite interested in what Awes-kon-wa was saying, while Mitexi sat by, bored of the history lecture. Almost by fate the sun began to rise. "You'd better go back, soon. Your pack will be awake, soon." "But..." Dyami glanced up at her with worried eyes. "I... broke a denmate's arm before coming here, and everyone's probably noticed I'm gone anyway. How can I explain?" "I'll protect you. Do not fear, young one, of the beings that lay upon you, but should you stay here, you will put your whole village into danger," she told him. "O-okay," he stammered, wishing he could actually trust her word. "Bye, Mitexi. It was nice seeing you again." With that, the young Skinwalker shifted into his bestial form and ran as fast as he could back, Awes-kon-wa closely following as Mitexi waved his goodbye and returned to the village. "Well, well," a beast voice called. "What is this?" The boy recognised the voice of Nukpana behind him, and he was definitely not in a good mood. "I..." Dyami shivered, speechless, and fearing of what was to come. "Don't even try ''to explain," he growled, his large self circling Dyami's smaller juvenile timber wolf. The shaking of the little wolf's body had only become worse, when a light shined out of the blue, the bestial wolf yelped and galloped back to the den. When the light stopped, Dyami glanced around and briefly spotted Awes-kon-wa, who soon after disappeared. Turning to what he considered to be his normal self, he walked glumly back inside, all members of the pack turning away from him. Weary, he returned to the juvenile's area and slept. Part 6 Dyami was woken by the sound of howling, a pack call being established. At first he groaned and thought of sleeping, then woke with a jump start and ran outside. He only hoped nothing would be said about the incident. "People of my pack," he started. "Yet again, one has chosen to join our ranks." A beautiful, leucistic bald eagle stood high and proud above the people. "May he grow up to be the strong eagle we hope him to become, and may he bring us plenty of prey, and to not disappoint. I now bring to you Haastiin of the Mohawks." ''Wait... Dyami thought for a bit. Isn't Haastiin a Navajo name? He stood confused, in contrast to the others who cheered. "Now," Nukpana started again. "This lucky one gets to hunt on his first day here, and as he says, he's an experienced Skinwalker. Suletu, Salali and Haastiin, go forth and bring us plenty of game for us to feast upon." Dyami let out a sigh of relief as he noticed the event that occurred last night had not been mentioned, although not forgotten. He watched as the falcon, hawk and eagle soared together, admiring the beauty of the eagle's abnormal, rare white feathers. Dyami walked back inside and to the food hole, where he took a rabbit he had caught yesterday - the only prey as the other wolves would limit what prey he could catch, then of course, insult him for a 'terrible hunting skill'. A pair of jaws grabbed and pulled away the rabbit Dyami picked up, and he saw Megedagik shifting. "Typical pup!" He repeated the words of Suletu. "Do not eat prey which you have caught," he snarled, trotting off back to Chenoa, who Dyami would admit is beautiful on outside, but just as ugly and cruel as everyone else at heart. Sighing, Dyami took another rabbit, shifting to a wolf and laying in the juvenile's hole, eating in small bites as he paid no attention to Liluye. After he had finished, the fox bounded upon him, with not anger or hostility in her eyes, but joy. "Guess what day it is!" she called out. "...Friday?" he answered. Liluye flattened her ears, then giggled. "No, you idiot! It's my birthday. I'm 18 now, and you..." she sighed with a mixture of relief, joy, and a hint of nostalgia, "...will be stuck in the juvenile's hole all by yourself. How sad," she claimed proudly, with a sarcastic unhappy voice. He growled lowly to himself, then a wolf howl sounded. Two meetings in one day... Liluye glanced at him with a smug expression and padded away with her tail and head held high. Keeping his distance, Dyami followed, staring as the hunting pack returned and the eagle hovered alongside him. "H-hello," he muttered, enough for the eagle to hear, however no reply came. Dyami repeated, louder, and the eagle turned his head towards Dyami, but still no reply. Outside, Haastiin appeared alongside Salali. As he glanced around, he noticed Liluye barely containing her excitement as she shifted her paws while sitting down. On the top of the den, Nukpana looked down at Liluye with proud eyes. "People of my pack. Time has come for a young one to fully become one of us," he announced, his voice cracking with happiness. Why is he so joyful? Dyami thought. This is too strange. Then again, most things here are. Liluye bounded upon the den as soon as Nukpana signaled her to do so with a flick of his tail. There, the two shifted into their human forms, and Nukpana held out to her three small bones which were held together by a thin, black string.'' I wonder who he killed to get that. "Liluye, I present to you now your full powers as a Skinwalker. Use them to suit both yours and our needs as a pack." He handed her the bone charm and the pack entered the den, going about their daily business. "Dyami," a deep voice behind him called, making him jump. "...Y-yes?" It was Hekli. Dyami did not know what to expect from him as they have not properly met before. "Come with me." His voice was surprisingly gentle and welcoming, which was something Dyami was not used to, though he had thought the bear-man's intentions were not. "Where are we going?" Dyami had asked, feeling curiosity affect his mind and words. "To show you where ''not to go," he replied, sternly, making him wonder if he knew of his visit to the village. In animal form, the two began to run. The bear was surprisingly fast, almost as fast as Dyami was. At the end of the canyon, Hekli had suddenly stopped, making Dyami halt and realise that he had almost stepped into a dark, sadistic and misty forest, so he took a few steps back. "Now, as you can see," Hekli began, "Going in that forest is not a good idea, for you may never leave. And... past here is the white men place, so if you happen to get captured, then you're not going to come back unless one of us finds you." Dyami peered into the forest for a moment before turning his gaze back to Hekli. "What's in there?" he simply asked, and the bear sneered. "The reason why you'd never come back. We may be the most ruthless Skinwalker pack there is, but in there, it's much different. The most terrifying Skinwalker pack lives in this forest, hidden in shadows. Even if they lack physical strength, their spells are the most powerful. Most of them, take the form of a raven, though when I was at this very spot I have seen a few owls. They are a very large pack, indeed, and there would be multiple of these creatures at any corner, any tree, any branch. Their mind control ability is the worst, putting the victim into a coma which can last for years, or forever," he explained, closing his eyes and seeming to recall moments. "There are also Wendigos, and somewhere in there is the Raven Mocker. Do you know what those are?" Dyami almost jumped when he realised that Hekli was looking straight at him. "I-I've heard of Wendigos before, but I don't exactly know what they are." A look spread across the bear's grin. "Well, you're going to find out today. Askook and Megedagik have seen one before at this edge. That would most likely be the cause of their ethnicity, after all Wendigos are Algonquin tales. There was a white man who had described the appearance of a Wendigo, and quite accurately to how Askook told me. You can ask him later. As for what they can do, well, they're unrelenting. They will eat living beings. Any that they see. They are always hungry, and will never stop. Not much more to it than that apart from any living victims most likely turning into Wendigos themselves, or becoming possessed. Such almost happened to Megedagik when he was a juvenile..." "And the Raven Mocker?" Dyami had asked, interested in what else there was to know, but also rather intimidated. "I am unsure. None of us had seen him, or witnessed what he can do. All I know about him is his name, Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï." "... And do members of our pack usually get captured by white men?" Dyami questioned. Recalling another moment, Hekli had hesitated before answering. "No, but it has happened before. It was a bear cub. His name was Etu. Now, pup, let me tell you a bit about these white men. They speak in different languages depending on where in the world they live, but some who speak different languages can come to others. The white men here speak a language called 'English'. Nukpana can also speak English, and so if they come he would warn them off, though there rarely comes quite a few who wear matching uniforms that have dull patches of brown, green and black on them. Nukpana talked to one of these groups once, and he learned that the English are currently at war with a people who speak a different language called 'German'. It's these Germans that came and stole Etu from us, using him for their own war. This is why foreigners are dangerous. Do you understand?" Dyami nodded, wondering more about the foreigners and what languages they might speak. "Yes," he responded. "Yes, foreigners are dangerous. But what do we do if we get captured?" "There isn't really much you or anyone can do. They carry things that shoot fire from a tube. They wound, and kill, quickly. Skinwalkers can heal, yes! And they cannot die in animal form! But their weapons are too quick for us. I'd pay them a visit already if this forest wasn't in the way..." the bear explained. "Anyway, there's a more... troubling matter we need to get to. Follow." They ran again to the other side of the canyon, and to another, more familiar forest. Dyami by now wanted to stop and rest, but Hekli kept edging him on. They had eventually stopped at a cliff edge, and Dyami, shifting to his human form, widened his eyes when he saw... his village! Hekli knew! Seeing his troubled expression, Hekli gave him a light laugh and shifted to his human form. "Yes, Dyami, we know. The whole pack knows. After you went and attacked the leader's daughter you escaped here. You cannot hide from a Skinwalker, you fool. We can read minds." Almost not hearing the words, Dyami's mouth dropped open, from both hearing that Liluye is Nukpana's daughter, and mostly that not only did Hekli know about his visit - but the whole pack had known. "A-Am I to be punished?" he managed to let out. Hekli nodded. "That's the other reason I was brought here." The bear hopped down the rocks and Dyami followed, wondering what it was he had to do. He expected the worst - to attack the village itself. As the two walked through the forest, Hekli had begun to speak of the punishment. "The punishment is to kill a member of your village. Megedagik himself had visited his village many times, because he hated his people so much, and he wanted to kill them all. Though if a Skinwalker wants to attack a village, they need only ask." Dyami made an audible sigh which broke down to a whimper. He didn't want to kill anyone. "Creator save me," he whispered to himself. As the two approached the wooden entrance, Dyami could feel his stomach churning in nervousness. He never killed before. Never wanted to. Hekli waited as Dyami stalked and peaked through. He could see his longhouse, and the familiarity of his own people, two of them, a man and a woman, were conversing. The man had seen the wolf at the entrance, and yelled. Alarmed, Dyami ran outside, though Hekli had stopped him retreating. "Ugh, you're like the other packs. Or worse, a loner. Go back!" he roared. Dyami peeked through the entrance again, his ears pricked and catching the two people's conversations. "Bloody Skinwalkers. No reason to be here," the man growled. "You... you know they can be dangerous! That one could have been from a pack! We have to tell the chief about this," the woman replied. "What do you know about them? They can't be that strong, can they?" "You don't remember, you idiot, do you? The attack a month ago! Done by Skinwalkers. Dyami missing and his father dead! Many wounded as well!" At this moment Dyami knew who he would kill. That ignorant man had just disregarded a major tragedy, and that would bring an end to him now. The wolf appeared from the entrance once again with a mighty snarl, falling back as he realised he had not killed a human by will before and he would not want to start now. He stepped a paw nervously forward, but halted and disappeared out of sight of the village as he heard a loud, buzzing sound come from the sky. When he looked up, he had seen this strange machine, with blades that rotated to keep it in flight. "What's that?" he had asked. "White men, and they're going towards our den. You're lucky today, pup. Let's go inform Nukpana." When they approached the den they had already seen the foreigners gathered there, and the pack's leader had spoken to them in a language the pack had not recognised. "English?" Dyami asked Hekli, who had nodded. He could see Nukpana draw back a disgusted and rather annoyed snarl as the foreigners took their leave. He paused, seeing Dyami and Hekli. "Is it done?" the leader asked, and Dyami had expected the worst, but Hekli only looked at the young wolf with sympathetic eyes. "Yes, Nukpana," he bowed. The leader nodded and disappeared through the den, and the two had followed. "You're lucky," the bear-man had whispered. "But I'm not going to do that again. Think of me as no different than you did before." Dyami nodded and trotted inside the juvenile's area, resting with nothing else to do. "Hii!" he heard a joyous voice. "It's me again. How's the widdle baby coming along?" Dyami sighed as he recognised the voice. It was the red fox, Liluye. "Just fine without you, thanks," he retorted. She simply laughed. "You shouldn't speak like that to a pureborn Skinwalker! You're lucky no one in this pack has shredded you yet!" she giggled. "That's right. Because you lied to me. Like everyone in this pack has, or will," Dyami replied with uncertainty. "Nah, all the juveniles fall for my story. Anyway, I want you to go hunting with me. And you know whatever a pureborn says must be done if the leader agrees. And the leader does agree," the fox transformed, ordering Dyami as if she was superior. He lifted himself up. "Alright, let's go," he sighed, padding outside with her leading. Part 7 The two had ended their hunt at sunset with plentiful prey, though on their way back stopped at the sinister forest Hekli had shown him before, sitting near the border in human form. "Have you been there yet?" she asked, eager to start a conversation. "What, in there? Yeah! Sure! And isn't it marvelous I came out untouched?" he sarcastically replied, which Liluye had laughed at. "You wouldn't last ten seconds out there before some Skinwalkers rip you apart!" Suddenly, another loud buzzing noise had come from the sky. When he looked up, he saw the same machine as he did flying above the village and both he and Liluye turned into their animal forms. He had tried to run, but the machine had landed slowly in front of them, its blades causing a heavy wind that blew a dust storm, clouding their vision. When the blades stopped rotating and the dust cleared, they had already been surrounded by foreigners who had held weapons at them. "What do we do?" Dyami asked fearfully to the vixen. She made a snarling noise, almost like a wolf, then howled - to Dyami's surprise, like a wolf. The noise echoed throughout the whole canyon. When Dyami glanced at the dark forest, he had seen a few owls appear in curiosity to the event. Skinwalkers, he sensed, but it was as if a strange force was holding them away from the canyon. Then he glanced towards the sky, sensing in the corner of his eye another foreigner leaving the machine. Luckily, he had sighted a falcon and an eagle. Then, a white wolf and a black wolf. "Liluye!" Chenoa cried out, but the newly appeared foreigner made a signal. Loud blasts of fire came from every direction, and on every part of the body, pain seared through as he was forced out of animal form. One of the foreigners shouted something that none could understand, then a screeching noise came from the sky as Haastiin lay his talons on Liluye's light body and, with abnormal strength, lifted her up. Dyami saw the bald eagle give him a worried glance as he flew off with the vixen. Before any other Skinwalker could rescue him, he was thrown into the machine "Dyami!" Suletu tried desperately to catch up as the machine lifted itself off the ground and flew off. He reached out to grab the falcon, but the doors were shut and he was carried off. He crawled back to a corner, growling when a foreigner tried to come near him, then Dyami noticed that his wounds were all but gone. He sat for a moment, helpless as he was at that moment, when the doors had suddenly flew open. Weapons were raised but they were wiped out as if a curse had spread through them. The wolf huddled closer to the corner in fear of whatever being had approached, but what he saw was but a raven. It looked around curiously, and as soon as it spotted Dyami, it neared, spreading its wings and making a strange, cackling noise. It was then he recalled something Hekli had told him about the forest. It stepped a foot forward as its eyes glowed a malicious red. "Raven mocker...?" he asked, his voice trembling. The raven stopped and tucked in its wings. "Yenaldooshi," it said, and bowed in greeting as if to confirm. "What are you doing here?" Dyami questioned. "I so love visitors, but these ones insisted on leaving too early," he chuckled, "but what are you doing here, yenaldooshi? I have not seen your kind outside my forest." "I... was captured... I don't know what they want from me, though..." he answered the raven. "What else do they want other than your power for their greedy little war? Now, I suppose I should get you off of this... disgusting thing..." he told Dyami, and he transformed into some withered humanoid with drooping raven wings and wore a raven skull as a helmet. Dyami yelped as he felt himself being grabbed by the Mocker's talons and lifted outside. The Raven Mocker soared, dropping below the clouds to reveal a river crossing through plains. He dropped down into his forest, transforming himself back into a raven and disappearing through the mist, leaving Dyami to fend for himself. 'W.I.P'